No business lender is perfect. A lot of them try (and get pretty close) but sometimes, the biggest advantages can lead to polarizing disadvantages. Take OnDeck Capital, for instance. This online business lender is widely-praised by all kinds of small business owners, and rightfully so. OnDeck’s application requires minimal paperwork, you can get funded in […]

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5. Social Media: Depending on your type of business, you will want a social media presence. LinkedIn, with more than 380 million members, is regarded as the business site for connecting with other businesspeople and offers excellent posting features for articles and blogs. Facebook is more of a social friends site than a business-focused site, but it’s also an excellent tool for “getting your word out” to your friends and customers. Both Linkedin and Facebook allow you to set up a commercial page for your new business.
It is important to protect your company’s intellectual property (IP). Ever wary of minimizing burn rate, startups may be tempted to defer investment in intellectual property protection. To those who have not tried to protect intellectual property, it feels complex and expensive. Too often, startups end up forfeiting intellectual property rights by neglecting to protect their ideas and inventions.

Accounts receivable financing. An accounts receivable line of credit is a credit facility secured by the company’s accounts receivable (AR). The AR line allows you to get cash immediately depending on the level of your accounts receivable, and the interest rate is variable. The AR line is paid down as the accounts receivable are paid by your customers.

However, despite the tendency of commercial banks to favor franchise businesses, you are still subject to the bank's underwriting and lending policies. The bank still has to review your net worth and credit history to determine whether you can pay back the loan advanced to your business. In some cases, you may also have to provide collateral to secure your business loan.

There are a few companies that specialize in helping franchise businesses find funding, usually by matching franchisees with financing options. Considering the overwhelming options for franchising and the intimidating array of options for financing your endeavor, referring to or working with one of these matchmaker-advisers can be a good idea, especially for those who don’t have a clear idea of what type of franchise they are most interested in.
He is also a nationally recognized employee training expert, and was one of the first people to receive the Certified Professional in Learning and Performance certification from the Association for Talent Development. In 2015, Jeff was awarded the CPLP Contributor Award by ATD for his numerous contributions to the program. He is a past president of ATD's San Diego chapter, where he was a recipient of the WillaMae M. Heitman Award for distinguished service.

A franchise merchant cash advance (MCA) is a short-term loan that provides capital to franchises that need funding quickly. Approval for a merchant cash advance can take a matter of minutes, and funding can be completed in as little as 24-48 hours. Merchant cash advances work by having a funding company purchase a portion of your franchise’s future receivables at a discount, with an upfront payment to the franchise. After funding the funding company will then collect repayment by splitting each days credit card batches with the franchise.

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